- The State Department is piloting online passport renewals.
- At this time, online renewal is only available to a limited number of applicants each day.
- To renew a passport online, applicants must meet certain criteria.
You may no longer need to go to the post office to renew your passport.
The State Department is currently testing online passport renewals and says it plans to fully open up the system to online renewals in the coming months.
At this time, online renewal is only available to a limited number of applicants each day, and applications are only accepted during the noon Eastern Standard Time slot.
“We will continue to limit the number of applications per day so we can monitor system performance in real time,” the State Department statement said. “This beta release limiting the number of applications per day is an important and standard part of our software development process.”
To renew your passport online, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Hold an existing U.S. passport that was issued within the last 15 years prior to the date of your new application. The passport must be in your possession and not have been previously reported lost or stolen.
- Do not change your name, gender, date of birth or place of birth on your new passport.
- Please apply for a regular tourist passport.
- Residing in a U.S. state or territory.
- You can pay your renewal fee online using your credit or debit card.
- You will be able to upload digital photos.
The State Department will not offer expedited online passport renewals while it tests the system, and applicants will need to certify that they have no plans to travel internationally for at least eight weeks from the date of application.
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The cost of online passport renewal is the same as renewal by mail, $130. The Department of State is informing applicants that their existing passport will be invalidated once their renewal application is processed. If their application is approved, their new passport will be mailed to them.
Zach Wichter is a New York-based travel writer for USA TODAY. He can be reached at zwichter@usatoday.com.
